Floor-box.



Patented July 2, 1918. glE/T-SHEET l.

H. F. KRANTZ.

FLOOR BOX.

APPLICATION HLED 9:26.18. 1912,

Patented July 2, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

g entran srarns ramena" carica.

HUBERT F. KRAN TZ, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO KANTZ MANUFAC- TURIN G- COMPANY, INC., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FLOOR-BOX.

Speccatonof Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1918..

Application filed December 18J 1912. `Serial No. 737,374.

To all whom t may concern.' v

`l3e it known that l, HUBERT F. KRANTZ, a citizen rof the United States, residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful improvements in Floor-Boxes, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description. A

rlhis invention relates to an improvment in a floonbox, the function of which is to form a connection for electrical distribution, the said box being located in a floor and connected with a feeding circuit; a plug' being utilized to tap the circuit, the said plug being usually inserted through the tap of the box.

rlhe object of this invention is to provide afloor box which is for all practicabley pur'- poses, proof against short-circuiting by fl water or any other foreign element. The inanner by which the contacts are protected makes it possible to wash a floor by flooding or otherwise.

In the drawings, which forni part of this specification 'Y Figure 1 .is a top plan view of my improved floor box.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, the cover being removed. l c

Fig. 3 Ais a cross sectional View of the box on 'line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a. cross sectional view of the box on line L.lf-4,A Fig. 3with the cover removed.

v Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper portion of the box illustrating the door for the opening in the cover of the box as closed.

Figg-G Vis a fragmentary end View of the cover of the box, illustrating the spring which acts toclosethe door and also to hold the plug in contact with the fixed contact holder in the box. y

Fig. 7 is a detail face view of the plug. Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view thereof, the section 'being taken on a line 8 8' in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the plug. Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view of the plug, the sectionbeing taken on a line 10-10 in Fig. 7.

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional'v'iew of the fixed contact holder, the section being taken.

on a line 11-11 in Fig. 2.

As herein embodied, my improved floor box comprises the adjustably connected sleeve and body portion 1 and -2, both of which are threaded to engage each other, as shown, which adapts the box as a whole to be adjusted in order to increase or decrease the depth of the structure, whereby the box is adaptable for application to floors, adjacent which the line wires are strung unf evenly, that is to say, where the line wires are nearer tothe floor at some points than at others.

The iixed contacts which form part of the circuit are carried` by the adjustable element 1, the said element being termed the adjustable element, because it is the one that is screwed intoo the other element until the flange 3 thereof comes in contact with the oor. v

The contacts which form part of the main circuit are indicated by 4 and are carried by a contact holder 5 of some insulating material, such as porcelain. The contact holder 5 is/ fixed to lugs 6 carried by the adjustable element'l, by means of screws 7. The contacts 4 are secured to the holder 5 by means of screws S.

As can be seen the contacts 4 are located in recesses 9 in the holder 5 and are for all practicable purposes flush with the face of the holder. The holder 5 is provided with a post or upstanding projection 10 .having a curved face 11 which acts to guide the plug 12, which carries contacts 13, which forms part of a branch circuit. As can be seen in Fig. 7, 8 and 9, the plug 12 is provided with ducts 14 through which the branch circuit wires 15 are strung ,to the contacts 13. The

contacts 13 are secured in recesses 16 in the face of the plug. The flange "-17 of the contacts 13 is disposed within a recess 18 in the bottom of the plug. For the reason that the contacts 4 and 13 are secured in recesses in the manner shown the said contacts are protected at all points, excepting at the faces thereof, which are caused .to contact, one with the other, when the main line is to be tapped.

. As can be seen in Figs. 1, 3 and 5'tl1e cover 19 of the box is provided with an opening 20, through which the plug 12 is passed. To close the opening 2O when the plug 12 is removed I provide a door-21 which is pivoted to the vcover 19 at 22, the said pivotal connection consisting of a pin 23 secured in the lugs 24 en the cover. rloiclose ther door or the holder 5'and keep the contacts 4 and 13 together; in fact the closure 21, together with the spring 25, constitutes a pressure entering device for holding. the plug in position. To prevent the plug from being forced too far into the box, and also to aline the contacts 4 and 13, I pro-vide a stop 28 at the lower end'of the holder 5 (see Figs. 2,3 and 4) with which the lower end of the plug contacts when the said plug is forced home, as shown in Fig. 3.

To connect the branch circuit the lower` end of the plug l will be placed upon the closed door 21 and pressed downwardly, which action will cause the door to swingl inwardly against the tension of the spring 25. As the door swings inwardly'the plug will ride sidewise down the inclined surface of the door and contact with ythe rounded guideway 11 of the post 10. 'A continued downward movement of the plug willresult in the positionshown in'Fig. 3, in which position thecontacts 4 and 13 will be heldI firmly together by the tension of the 'spring 25. As can b e seen the opening 20 is comparatively small and the chances of the door being even partly opened by a person walking thereupon is remote. v

Should water' flow into the box itwould flow past the 'contacts 4, as there are' no pockets or recesses in the holder to retain water enough to short-circuit. the line.

Furthermore the said contacts' are substantially flush with' the face of the holder and the recesses which retain them are not incomrnunication.' Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate a self contained vfixed holder for contactS. The object of this construction is to provide a holder that will retain the plug independently of any outside element. In

this form the holder isjprovided with a socket 29, in which the plug is inserted, the bottom of the socket being provided with an opening through which water and dirt. "can pass to prevent thel socket from `lling up, The socket 29 `is formed by the side wall 31 and end walls 32. In oth respects the holder is Similar to the hold,

I claim as my invention:

' J1. In combination with an electric circuit, f a holderprovided with recesses, contacts located in said recesses, an upstanding post carried by said holder and located between.

said cpntacts, said post being provided with a curved 4guldeway, 'a stop located atV the lower end of said holder, anda plug adapted to rest on said stop, contactscarriedby said plug adapted to impinge upon the contacts carried by said holder, said 'plug being adapted to' rest upon said stop when said contacts are in alinement.

2. In combination with an electric circuit a holder provided with recesses, contacts locatedin said recesses, an upstandingl post carried by saidholder and located between said contacts, said post being provided with acurved guideway, a socket carried by said holdei encompassing said contacts, the botz tom of said socket being provided with an opening, a plug adapted for insertion in said socket, andl contacts carried by said plugv adapted to aline with the contacts on said holder when said plug is pressed home in said socket. 3

i 3. The herein described floor box consist- `ling of a container, stationary contacts, a

supporting body therefor located within the container, acover having an opening above said body, a plug-,having contacts adapted to be inserted through said opening, the contact Iplugf and the contacts of the body adapted to be engagedby a sliding motion on the insertion of the plug, and meansresiliently mounted within the box to urge latera-lly the plug contacts against the body contacts. l 1

4. The hereindescribed floor boxy consisting of` a container, stationary contacts, a supporting body therefor located within the container, a cover vhaving an opening above said'body, a plug having contacts adapted to be inserted through saidopening, the contacty plug andthe contactsV of the body adapted to enga ed by a' sliding motion on the insertion o contacts against the body contacts, said means consisting of a closure for the opening of the cover, and resilient means for A holding it against the plug.

'5. The herein described ioor box consisting of a containerl in two parts, one a body part and one a sleeve, a cover for the sleeve, an opening therein, a body carrying contacts and secured to the sleeve with the contacts a .definite distance 'from the cover, a

will press against said plug to maintain 0011-. 120

tact when the plug is in position. 0 Signed-at New `York: city, New York, this 17th day of December, 1912. l

Witnesses j FREDFRANCIS WEISS,

' MABnuDrrrENHoEFER.

the plug, and means within the box to urge laterally the plug HUBERT F. KRANTZ. i 

